Pepper is in the genus Capsicum, which includes the species Capsicum annum and Capsicum frutescens. Peppers are cultivated and used around the world as sweet peppers such as the bell pepper; or as pungent chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, and TABASCO peppers (used to make TABASCO sauce); or as a source of dried powders of various colors such as paprika.
The types of cultivated peppers can be differentiated by pungency, fruit shape, and size. Non-pungent peppers used for the fresh market include the large, blocky, thick-fleshed Bell or Stuffing type (e.g., cv.s (cultivars) California Wonder, Yolo Wonder, Keystone Giant and Dulce Italians) and the medium-sized, heart-shaped, thick-fleshed Pimiento type (e.g., cv.s Pimiento, Pimiento Select, Pimiento Perfection, and Super Red Pimiento) peppers, and the long, blunt-ended, thin fleshed Cuban type (e.g., cv.s Cubanelle, and Aconcagua). Mildly pungent peppers used for the fresh market and for processing include the long, heart-shaped, thin-fleshed Ancho type (e.g., cv.s Mexican Chili, Ancho, and Mulato), and the long, blunt-ended, thin-fleshed Tuscan type (e.g., cv. Pepperoncini) peppers. The slightly more pungent Anaheim Chili (e.g., cv.s Anaheim Chili, Sandia, California Chili, Mild California, and New Mexican Chili) which is used mainly for processing has an elongate fruit which tapers to a point and medium flesh thickness. Pungent peppers used in both the fresh market and for processing include the long, cylindrical-thick fleshed Jalapexc3x1o (e.g., cv.s Jalapexc3x1o and Mild Jalapexc3x1o), the small, slender, tapering Serrano (e.g., cv. Serrano), and the irregularly shaped, thin-fleshed Cayenne (e.g., cv.s Cayenne Long Thick, Cayenne Long Slim, and Cayenne Long Red) peppers. In addition to the above C. annuum types, there are various C. frutescens type peppers (e.g., cv. Tabasco).
The present invention provides sweet, low-seeded hybrid peppers that resemble a Jalapexc3x1o pepper in size and shape. When fully mature, the fruit are red in color, 1xc2xcxe2x80x3-2xc2xexe2x80x3 in length and xc2xe-1xc2xdxe2x80x3 in diameter. Brixxc2x0 measurements are greater than 9.0. Usually, the plants of the invention result from crossing a first inbred pepper plant having low-seeded, Jalapexc3x1o-shaped red fruit by a second inbred pepper plant having low-seeded Jalapexc3x1o-shaped orange fruit.
In this invention, a sweet, red, low-seeded pepper hybrid is produced. An exemplary line is DNAP 98004 (Pepper seed (Capsicum annum) 98004 deposited under the terms of the Budapest Treaty on Jul. 28, 2000 as ATCC Accession No. PTA-2275 with the American Type Culture Collection in Manassas, Va.). The parental lines are DNAP 89300 (PVP 8800202, Vegi-Sweet), as the female parent and DNAP 94166 as the male parent. The invention also provides pepper fruit and seed produced by such hybrids. In addition, the invention provides pepper seed that can be grown to yield a hybrid plant of the invention.
The invention further provides methods of making a hybrid pepper that is sweet, red, and low-seeded and resembles a Jalapexc3x1o pepper in size and shape. The methods comprise crossing a first red-fruited pepper plant that is sweet, low-seeded and resembles a Jalapexc3x1o pepper in size and shape with a second orange, fruited pepper plant that is sweet, low-seeded and resembles a Jalapexc3x1o pepper in size and shape. F1 plants that are red-fruited, sweet, low-seeded and resemble a Jalapexc3x1o pepper in fruit size and shape are then selected.
Both parental lines are produced by crossing and pedigree selection to identify progeny having the desired traits. In particular, both parents should produce fruit that are sweet, low-seeded, and resemble a Jalapexc3x1o pepper in size and shape. Preferred lines for this purpose are DNAP 89300 and DNAP 94166.
Definitions
As used herein a first plant xe2x80x9cgrown fromxe2x80x9d seed of a second plant includes one that arises directly or indirectly from the seed of the second plant. Thus, the first plant may be an F1 or more removed generation produced by standard breeding techniques using the second plant as parent, so long as the first plant has all the characteristics of the second plant. A first plant has xe2x80x9call the characteristics ofxe2x80x9d a second plant if it share all the relevant morphological and physiological characteristics of the second plant. For example, in the case of the pepper plants of the invention, the main distinguishing characteristics of the plant are fruit color, sugar content, seed number, and shape, as described here.
The term xe2x80x9cBrixxc2x0xe2x80x9d is used as a measure of sugar content of the fruit of the invention. Brix xc2x0 is a standard refractometric measure of sugars. One Brixxc2x0 unit is approximately 1% sugar by weight. As used here a xe2x80x9csweetxe2x80x9d pepper fruit is one having a Brixxc2x0 reading of at least about 8.0, preferably at least about 9.0.
A pepper fruit that is xe2x80x9cJalapexc3x1o pepper in size and shapexe2x80x9d is one that has as a generally long, cylindrical shape. Typically, the fruit are between about 1 and about 3 inches in length, usually between about 1.25 inches and about 2.75 inches in length. The fruit are usually between about 0.5 inches and about 2 inches in diameter, usually between about 0.75 inches and about 1.5 inches in diameter.
A xe2x80x9clow seededxe2x80x9d fruit is one that comprises less than about 30 seed, usually less than about 25 seed.